here was a dash of color in her cheeks. Hephzibah
escorted her to the tea table. I rose to meet them.

"Frank--Frances, I mean--is goin' to join us to-day," said Hephzy.
"She's beginnin' to look real well again, isn't she."

I said she was. Frances nodded to me and took one of the chairs, the
most comfortable one. She appeared perfectly self-possessed, which I was
sure I did not. I was embarrassed, of course. Each time I met the
girl the impossible situation in which she had placed us became more
impossible, to my mind. And the question, "What on earth shall we do
with her?" more insistent.

Hephzy poured the tea. Frances, cup in hand, looked about her.

"This is rather a nice place, after all," she observed, "isn't it."

"It's a real lovely place," declared Hephzy with enthusiasm.

The young lady cast another appraising glance at our surroundings.

"Yes," she repeated, "it's a jolly old house and the grounds are not bad
at all."

Her tone nettled me. Everything considered I thought she might have
shown a little more enthusiasm.

"I infer that you expected something much worse," I observed.

"Oh, of course I didn't know what to expect. How should I? I had no hand
in selecting it, you know."

"She's hardly seen it," put in Hephzy. "She was too sick when she came
to notice much, I guess, and this is the first time she has been out
doors."

"I am glad you approve," I observed, drily.

My sarcasm was wasted. Miss Morley said again that she did approve, of
what she had seen, and added that we seemed to have chosen very well.

"I don't suppose," said Hephzy, complacently, "that there are many much
prettier places in England than this one."

"Oh, indeed there are. But all England is beautiful, of course."

I thought of Mrs. Briggs' lodging-house, but I did not refer to it. Our
guest--or my "niece"--or our ward--it was hard to classify her--changed
the subject.

"Have you met any of the people about here?" she asked.

Hephzy burst into enthusiastic praise of the Baylisses and the curates
and the Coles.

"They're all just as nice as they can be," she declared. "I never met
nicer folks, at home or anywhere."

Frances nodded. "All English people are nice," she said.

Again I thought of Mrs. Briggs and again I kept my thoughts to myself.
Hephzy went on rhapsodizing. I paid little attention until I heard her
speak my name.

"And Hosy thinks so, too. Don't you, Hosy?" she said.

I answered yes, on the cha